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Ava
***
“Daddy who is this blonde baby?” Ava asks holding up a picture. Tim peers at it and sees it’s a picture of Ava when she was around 11 months. She didn’t have much hair but Lucy had somehow managed to put it in two little pigtails.
“That’s you.” Tim says taking the picture and looking at baby Ava and then at the seven year old Ava in front of him. He’s not sure how she grew up so fast, when it seemed like it was just yesterday he was mowing the lawn with her strapped to his chest. Or he was holding her for the first time after she was born.
And now she was seven year old with a lot of sass and whole lot of heart. She had been through a lot in her short life like being taken from her bed when she was two. But she came out stronger from it.
“I was so cute!” She squeals. “Look at my cheeks.” She pokes at them on the picture and then on herself.
“Was I the cutest baby you had ever seen?” She asks Tim. Tim shakes his head and pulls her into his lap.
“Of course I did Aves. You were definitely a cute baby.” Tim says. “Where did you get this picture?”
“My baby book!” Ava says pointing to a book on the floor in front of them. “I love looking at it.” Tim huffs out a laugh and goes over to pick it up. Lucy had done a pretty good job of making all four kids a baby book. She planned on making it past a year old but after keeping up with Ava’s she decided a year was good. And all four kids got a book.
Tim goes to sit down and flips through the pages. It was all of just Ava with Tim and Lucy. There were pictures of her at the station with everyone and pictures of when she was a tiny baby.
“Do you miss when I was a cute baby?” Ava asks Tim. He pauses and looks up at her. Her blonde hair is a mess, her clothes were somewhat clean and she was grinning at him her two top front teeth missing.
“Sometimes.” He says. “But you are growing up to be a beautiful young lady.” Ava grins at him some more.
“Were you a cute baby?” Ava asks. Tim opens his mouth to speak but another voice interrupts him.
“Yes.” Tim turns to see Lucy standing next to the couch. “Your daddy was very cute when he was little. Just picture Levi.” As if on cue, Levi comes running into the room and jumps on top of Tim.
“I’m a dinosaur.” He says and he starts to climb up Tim. “Grrr.”
“Not very scary Levi.” Ava says. “You’re too cute. You have to really mean it.”
“Grrrrrrr.”
Tim rolls his eyes and lifts his son off of him. “Go play with your dinosaur brother Ava.” He says. Ava nods and Levi stomps off.
“Wow.” Lucy says. “Didn’t know I gave birth to a dinosaur.” Tim laughs and turns the photo book towards Lucy.
“Remember when we had one kid?” He asks. Lucy looks down and she smiles softly.
“Oh she was a beautiful baby.” She says softly. “I can’t believe she’s 7 and we have 3 more.” Tim pulls the book back towards him and smiles. Their life might be crazy, chaotic and full of dinosaurs apparently but he wouldn’t have it any other way.
***
Daisy
***
“Mama look!” Lucy turns to see Daisy holding up her baby book. It was a light yellow and had daisies all over it. Lucy was very proud of herself for thinking of that especially with everything going on before and after Daisy’s birth.
“Is that your baby book?” Lucy asks. “Ava just had hers out too.” Daisy nods and holds the book close to her chest.
“Can we look at it?” Daisy asks. Lucy studies her five year old for a few seconds. She’s not sure Daisy had ever seen her baby book before.
“Sure baby.” Lucy says. “Come here.” Daisy follows her to the couch and they both settle down. Lucy opens the book and there’s a picture of Lucy holding Daisy when she was first born.
“Where’s daddy?” Daisy asks. Lucy sighs softly and looks at all the pictures of when Daisy was first born. She had the nurses take the pictures because her stubborn husband had a hernia and was getting it removed.
“Your daddy was silly.” Lucy says. “He was in a lot of pain and didn’t take care of something and he fainted.” Daisy’s lip quivers a little bit, and Lucy sees tears in her eyes.
“H-he missed me being born?” She asks.
“No baby.” Lucy says shaking her head. “He didn’t miss it. He fainted after you were born.” Daisy’s face lights up in a smile.
“Good.” She says as Lucy turns the page and sees Ava and Daisy’s first picture together. Ava still looked unsure like she didn’t know why she was holding a baby.
“Sissy!” Daisy says jabbing her finger at Ava. “Is she holding me?”
“She is.” Lucy confirms. “She wasn’t sure at first but she warmed up to you.”
“She loves me.” Daisy says nodding her head slightly and turning the page. Lucy sees a picture of all four of them in the hospital.
Just the four of them.
“She loves you very much Dais.” Lucy says smoothing out her daughter’s hair. “She’s your big sister.”
“Look how cute I am.” Daisy says and Lucy looks realizing she had skipped several pages. “Am I still cute?”
“The cutest.” Lucy says poking her belly. “The absolute cutest.” Daisy giggles and turns the page to see pictures of her first birthday.
“Look at me!” Daisy squeals. “Yummy cake.” Lucy laughs softly and she can’t believe all her kids baby books are done. She has a 7, 5 and two 3 year olds and they were growing up right before her eyes.
“Now we are looking at Daisy’s baby book?” Lucy turns to see Tim walking into the living room. Daisy squeals and runs up to him. Tim catches her easily and then comes to sit down next to Lucy.
“Daddy, why didn’t you take care of—” Daisy glances at Lucy. “Your thing before I was born?”
“My thing?” Tim asks confused. “My hernia? It wasn’t that big of a deal and I wasn’t going to miss you being born.”
“But you were in pain.” Lucy says shaking her head at him. “And you fainted.”
“Did I miss the birth?” He asks. “No.”
“You are silly.” Daisy says flipping through the book again. Tim glances at Lucy and she just shrugs.
“Am I?” Tim asks tickling Daisy under the arms making her giggle. “Or is that you?” Daisy giggles loudly and Lucy shakes her head.
“I have to go potty.” Daisy says suddenly and jumps off Tim’s lap and runs from the room.
“You are silly.” Lucy says. She turns the book to face Tim, there’s a picture of him holding Daisy but it looks like he’s in pain.
“You are never going to let me live this down are you?” He grumbles. Lucy leans over to kiss him soft and sweet. She loves him even if he was stubborn.
“Never.” She says grinning at him. “I love you even when you are stubborn.” Tim rolls his eyes but leans down to kiss her.
“Love you too Luce.”
***
Levi
***
“Daddy! Daddy!” Tim looks over to see his son dragging his baby book behind him. “I’m cute.” Tim huffs out a laugh and goes to help him.
“You’re cute Levi.” He says. “You look like me.” Levi looks up at him and gives him a look that reminds him of Lucy. He might look like Tim, from his hair to already being tall for a three year old but he was a total mama’s boy. He would jump at any opportunity to be with Lucy, and really that was just like Tim too.
He didn’t blame his son one bit. He loved to be around Lucy.
“Mama says I’m cuter.” Levi says puffing out his chest proudly. Tim rolls his eyes and pulls his son up on his lap.
“Is that so?” He asks. “I guess I will have to talk to mama about that?” He opens the book and sees a picture of Levi when he was first born and Tim is hovering over him.
“That’s me?” Levi asks. “Where’s June?” Tim points to another picture of where June has joined Levi in the little crib they put them in.
“Oh good.” Levi says. “We together.” Tim hums softly and he remembers when Levi was crying and the nurse put June next to him and he instantly calmed down.
“You were best friends from the start.” Tim tells him. Levi looks up at him his blue eyes shining a little and Tim realizes he has tears in them.
“I was so cute.” Levi says quietly. Tim laughs and rubs his back a little. “Junie cute.”
“You were both cute.” He agrees flipping the page. “Look it’s you two meeting your sisters.” Levi reaches out to run his fingers across the picture.
“Ava and sissy.” He says. Tim laughs and looks at the picture himself—remembering how nervous they had been to have four kids. The twins were definitely unexpected but two of the best unexpected gifts.
“Mama pretty.” Levi says. “Daddy okay.” Tim rolls his eyes again and gives Levi a little tickle making him giggle.
“Hey bud you look like me. I should be more than okay.” He says. Levi just shrugs as Tim flips the page and sees a page of just Levi. Lucy tried to do her best to make the twins baby books their own but it was a challenge.
“Oh are you looking at pictures of my favorite handsome boy?” Tim looks up to see Lucy.
“Yes.” Tim and Levi say at the same time and then look at each other.
“That’s me daddy.” Levi says crawling over to Lucy. “Not you.” Tim looks at Lucy expecting her to correct him but she just shrugs.
“Sorry babe. You have been replaced.” She says. Tim scoffs at her and looks down at the book. He never thought he would have a son in the first place and having Levi was just everything he hoped for and more.
“We will talk later.” He tells her. Lucy shoots him a grin and he knows she probably has something planned to make up for it.
“Daddy.” Levi says and Tim looks at his son. His baby boy that he never thought he would have.
“Yeah bud?”
“I love you.” Levi says. Tim looks at Lucy who has tears in her eyes as she kisses the top of Levi’s head.
“I love you too buddy.”
***
June
***
“Junie cute!” Levi says jabbing at his sister’s face. “Junie cute.” Lucy laughs as she looks down at the picture in the book. After watching them look at Ava, Daisy and Levi’s books— June didn’t want to be left out.
“Me cute!” June squeals looking at Lucy and she’s not sure if she has even looked at the pictures or she is just copying what her brother is saying.
“You are cute. And you were from the beginning.” Lucy says and even though June had given them a scare with her heart rate which led to a emergency c-section… Lucy couldn’t help but feel grateful that everything turned out okay.
“Bubba!” June says pointing at a picture of Levi. Lucy laughs a little and it was amazing that the twins recognized each other. It was one of things she loved about having twins. They just knew each other and had since the beginning.
“Yeah that’s bubba.” Lucy confirms. “Look Junebug it’s a whole page of just you.” June stares down at the pictures and then without warning she bursts into tears. Lucy frowns and puts the book aside and pulls June into her chest.
“Baby what’s wrong?” She asks rocking her a little bit. June just buries her face into Lucy’s chest.
“Me sad.”
“Why are you sad Junie?” Lucy asks gently pulling her daughter back so she can look at her. “There’s nothing to be sad about. You were a cute baby.” And she’s feeling a little more than confused.
“Why Junie sad?” Levi asks and he looks distressed too. Lucy pulls June onto her lap and then Levi curls into her side.
“I cute.” June says sniffing. Lucy huffs out a laugh and lifts her chin up to look at her.
“You were very cute and guess what?” She asks. June looks at her tears still leaking out of her eyes.
“What?” June asks tilting her head at Lucy.
“You are still very cute.” Lucy says and June finally cracks a smile.
“Me cuter than Levi?” June asks. Levi looks up and gives Lucy the puppy dog eyes and she’s not sure how she gets anything done.
“You are the same level of cuteness.” She says softly. “Ava and Daisy too.”
“Ava and Daisy what?” Ava asks coming into the room. “Oh Junie’s baby book! I remember when she was a baby.”
Lucy shakes her head a little as her older girls sit down. “June got a little emotional because she thought she was so cute.” Lucy says.
“She is cute.” Daisy says. “Levi is too except when he shoves things down the toilet.” Lucy closes her eyes and sucks in a breath.
“Or when he brings bugs in the house.” Ava says. “Or lizards.”
“Excuse me?” Lucy says. “When did Levi bring in a lizard?” She turns to her son but he’s busy looking at the baby book.
“Daddy got rid of it before you knew.” Ava says. Lucy sucks in another breath and she was going to have to reward her husband for that.
“Mama can we get pizza tonight?” Daisy asks. “Daddy says we have some home movies we can watch.”
Lucy laughs and then nods her head. Pizza sounded like a great idea, and the home movies sounded like a great idea she hadn’t seen those for a long time.
But the best part of all she would be with her family—and that was worth everything.